"Occupied Palestine," UNESCO Document and Draft Resolution

In October 2016, the Executive Board of UNESCO will meet in Paris to discuss a report and vote on a resolution on "Occupied Palestine." The report refers to the holiest sites in Judaism, the Temple Mount and the Western Wall, solely by their Arabic name Al -Aqṣà Mosque/al-Ḥaram al-Sharīf. The report also describes the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron and Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem (the burial sites of the Jewish biblical patriarchs and matriarchs) as "Palestinian sites." In the words of the report:

"[T]he Permanent Delegation of Palestine to UNESCO expressed concerns regarding reported impediments to free access to the Al-Aqṣà Mosque/al-Ḥaram alSharīf.

B. The two Palestinian sites of al-Ḥaram al-Ibrāhīmī/Tomb of the Patriarchs in al-Khalīl/Hebron and the Bilāl ibn Rabāḥ Mosque/Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem

22. This matter has been on the agenda of the Executive Board since its 184th session at the request of a number of Member States, in relation to the decision of the Israeli authorities, announced in February 2010, to include the two above-mentioned sites located in Hebron and Bethlehem in Israel's National Heritage Programme.

23. At its 199th session, the Executive Board adopted 199 EX/Decision 19 by which it reaffirmed that 'the two concerned sites located in al-Khalīl/Hebron and in Bethlehem are an integral part of Palestine' and reiterated that it 'disapproves of the ongoing Israeli illegal excavations, works, construction of private roads for settlers and a separation wall inside the Old City of alKhalīl/Hebron (...), and urges Israel, the occupying Power, to end these violations in compliance with provisions of relevant UNESCO conventions, resolutions and decisions'; It also 'deeply deplores Israeli refusal to comply with 185 EX/Decision 15, which requested the Israeli authorities to remove the two Palestinian sites from its national heritage list' and 'calls on the Israeli authorities to act in accordance with that decision.'..."